the truth behind the myths
TRANSCRIPT
PPLLAASSTTIICC RREECCYYCCLLIINNGG IINN CCHHIINNAA::TTHHEE TTRRUUTTHH BBEEHHIINNDD TTHHEE MMYYTTHHSS
An Account of Moore Recycling visits to Plastic Recycling
Facilities in China
Introduction
Findings from Visits
ProcessPET
Film
Mixed Resin
End Uses
Issues
Conclusions
Moore Recycling staff visitedChina five times from 2008 to2010 to learn what happensto the plastic scrap we send toChina: specifically PET, film and mixed resin bales
Pudong, Waichau, Port of Hong Kong, ShandongProvince, Hangzhou, Quingdao, Fuzhou,
Guangzhou, Shenzhen
In 2004, China
imported 5.5 billion
pounds of plastic
By 2008, it was up to
9.7 billion pounds
Myth: Most of China’s
scrap plastic is imported
10’s of thousands of plastic
recyclers in China
Most recyclers small labor-
intensive entrepreneurial
operations using
domestically fabricated
equipment
Myth: Scrap plastic
shipped to China is just
burned
39% of plastic recycling businesses
went out of business in China at the
end of 2008
Quality and output vary greatly
China has passed many regulations to
control supply and processes:
enforcement is difficult but
progressing
Myth: Most facilities use child or
foreced labor & working
conditions are terrible
Pollution: Air, Water, Noise, Waste Incineration Transportation & Storage Record keeping Processing: Grinding, Washing, Melting/Pelletizing, Worker
health & safety, Location Packaging & Labeling
Technical Specifications for PollutionControl during Collection and Recycle of Waste Plastics [2007]:
Prohibit the importation of unprocessedscrap [1996]
AQSIQ regulation No. 119 [2009] Registration of foreign suppliers and domestic assignees Inspections: before loading, on-site at Chinese ports Follow-up of foreign suppliers and domestic consignees:
national “Black List” of foreign suppliers & domestic consignees Trained 1883 new staff to provide unified law enforcement
Most material from the US
goes through the Port of
Hong Kong: port employees
inspect the material
Depending on the
destination some containers
are emptied and loaded
onto domestic containers
Myth: Transportation costs to China are practically free
Most PET recycling
facilities are in Zhejiang
and Jiangsu
Most film recycling
facilities are in Shandong
and Fujian
Most Mixed resin recycling
facilities are in Guangdong,
Fujian and Hebei